Barry Bannan once picked his all-time best Sheffield Wednesday XI – where are they now? | OneFootball

The Owls icon picked his best Wednesday all-time XI two years ago, with FLW revealing where they are all at now.

Throughout their illustrious history, Sheffield Wednesday have had some fantastic servants represent the club.

And none more so than midfielder Barry Bannan, who has cemented himself as an Owls legend and closes in on 500 appearances for the club.

Returning to Hillsborough following a short stint at Millwall, the Scotsman will be hopeful of playing a massive role in helping the club return to the Championship, with his quality so vital to have at third tier level.

Back before he left the club, Bannan, two years ago sat down with Sheffield Wednesday’s official YouTube channel and discussed what his all-time Wednesday XI would be.

And here at FLW, we’re going to dive back into the players he picked and detail what they are now doing in the present day.

GK: Kieren Westwood

Starting off between the sticks, Bannan named Kieren Westwood as his goalkeeper, and for good reason.

Joining from Sunderland in the summer of 2014, Westwood would go on to spend seven seasons in the Steel City, racking up 199 appearances in all competitions and helping Wednesday reach the second tier play-offs on two occasions.

Now at the ripe age of 41, Westwood is still honing his skills in goal, representing Northern Premier League Division One West outfit Wythenshawe.

RB: Liam Palmer

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Heading into the defence, Bannan named Liam Palmer as his right-back of choice, and again, it seems a routine pick given the length of service he’s given to the club.

Breaking through the youth system at Hillsborough, Palmer broke into the first-team picture after coming back from a loan spell at Tranmere Rovers in 2013 and hasn’t looked back.

Virtually a one-club man, Palmer has been a part of so many highs and lows in Yorkshire, making over a half-century of appearances and still standing strong.

Today, Palmer remains with Wednesday at the age of 34, hopeful of adding yet another promotion onto his glittering CV.

CB: Tom Lees

At the heart of the backline, Tom Lees is the first of Bannan’s picks.

Linking up from Leeds United heading into the 2014-15 campaign, Lees represented Wednesday in the Championship for seven seasons, playing 274 times before moving on to a new challenge with fellow Yorkshire side Huddersfield Town.

Now at the age of 35, Lees continues to play professional football in the National League with Harrogate Town after making an exit this summer from League One side Peterborough United.

CB: Julian Borner

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Partnering Lees in Bannan’s all-time Wednesday XI is Julian Borner, who is the shortest-serving player in this list.

Borner only played in the blue and white of Wednesday for two seasons but was praised by Bannan for being so technically accomplished on the ball.

While not appearing as the most conventional footballer, Bannan likened Borner to Rio Ferdinand in the way he played the game, which helped him become a fan favourite at the time.

Right now, Borner has since retired from professional football and gone into management, currently the head coach of German amateur side TuS Oldau-Ovelgönne.

Rounding off the backline at left-back is Daniel Pudil, who spent four seasons in total at Hillsborough, with one on loan and then three after permanently signing from Watford.

Possessing a wand of a left foot, Pudil featured 114 times for the club during that time, helping the club reach the Championship play-off final in 2016, albeit ending in defeat.

A defender with such an extensive playing career, Pudil continues to put on his boots at the age of 40 and be closely connected to Yorkshire, playing in the eighth tier of English football with Hallam FC.

Heading into central midfield, Sam Hutchinson made Bannan’s list, valued as a ‘strong character’ and a player that every team’s dressing room needed.

A versatile player, able to play in either central midfield or in central defence, Hutchinson was a supreme ball-winning player when in the midfield line, with Bannan referencing how many times Hutchinson would win the ball back for Bannan after he lost possession.

Giving nine seasons of his career to Wednesday, totalling 207 games, Hutchinson currently plys his trade in the National League South with Farnham Town after linking up with them this summer.

CM: Kieran Lee

Partnering Hutchinson in Bannan’s all-time XI is Kieran Lee, who was likened by the Scotsman to that of Borner.

Described as 'underrated' by Bannan for his immense work in both boxes, Lee was hailed as one of the top-performing players in their play-off final reaching season in 2016, going on to play 217 times for the Owls.

Now at the age of 38, Lee has decided to hang up the boots, with his last competitive appearances coming for Bolton Wanderers in League One in 2023.

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Moving into the attacking areas, Fernando Forestieri was placed on the right flank in a 4-2-3-1 setup by Bannan.

While the Italian ended his time at Wednesday on a sour note, there’s no denying what incredible quality and ability he had in the final third, with Bannan describing him as the most talented player he’s ever played with at the club.

Another arrival from Watford, the now 36-year-old played 134 times over five seasons, notching 40 goals and registering 17 assists.

Nowadays, Forestieri is seeking a new club, remaining a free agent after leaving Cypriot outfit AEL Limassol this summer.

Forestieri has been part of the PFA’s pre-season training camp too, which is a fully-funded, 12-week residential programme in Leicestershire and designed to mirror elite club preparations to help free agents maintain fitness and find new clubs.

He outlined his ambition to play in the Championship again one day, or even dropping into League One if needed.

Playing just behind the striker, Bannan elected to choose Gary Hooper.

Originally joining on loan from Norwich City, Hooper was not just a goalscorer, he was an all-rounder in the forward line, creating endless amounts of chances for his teammates while also being ruthless in front of goal when the opportunities presented themselves.

Wednesday fans would have been disappointed to see Hooper only make 89 appearances for the club, but his 31 goals and 12 assists made him such a dependable option at Championship level.

Today, Hooper plays in the eighth-tier for non-league outfit Maldon & Tiptree.

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On the opposite flank, Josh Windass made it onto Bannan’s list.

At the time when Bannan listed his XI, him and Windass were still teammates at Hillsborough, with Bannan highlighting how good their connection was on the pitch, while they are close friends off of it too.

Spending four seasons in the Championship and two in League One, adding up to 182 appearances, 53 goals and 23 assists from attacking midfield showcased how influential he was for the team over those years, with his potential spotted by Wrexham, who lured him to North Wales in the summer of 2025.

Right now, Windass remains at Racecourse Lane, coming off the back of a 15-goal season and hopeful of taking the Red Dragons to the Premier League after narrowly missing out on the play-offs.